Last month, the council said it spent $12,268 landing Nelson-based Lee Babe for an independent member role on its water committee at the end of February.
Environment
6:30pm
While it weighs roughly half the weight of a 21,450-carat (4.29kg) stone found in 1996, the new discovery is considered more valuable due to its superior color and quality.
Sunday 4:30pm
Celebrations globally for the centenarian who has connected humanity with the natural world through his programmes spanning eight decades.
Fri, May 8
Urgent, decisive action is needed on how communities will pay for the costs of adapting to climate change, a major new report says.
Thu, May 7
Deadly outbreak of the rare hantavirus aboard a Dutch ship on a weeks-long polar cruise has brought attention to the growing tourism trend.
A past foaming issue was suspected to be a meth lab, but that was never confirmed.
Wed, May 6
The accumulation of non-biodegradable materials blocked a sewerage pipe at Redwoods Forest for two days.
Tue, May 5
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Middle East violence flares up again, and evacuations from a cruise ship struck by a deadly virus.
Ten crew — including one Kiwi — began the first leg of a worldwide study tracing plastics all the way from the sea back to their original source on land.
Sun, May 3
Lakes in the Waikato have been plagued by toxic algae for years, with one lake having a health warning in place for five years straight.
Sat, May 2
The species was first found at Banks Peninsula in 1951.
Fri, May 1
Its rapid expansion is driving a sharp increase in demand for battery recycling – much of it done in informal or poorly regulated settings.
Thu, Apr 30
Exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium raises risks of cancer, organ failure and developmental harm.
Wed, Apr 29
An arachnologist says the gossamer threads coating homes and reserves across the region are harmless — and a sign the season is changing.
Tue, Apr 28
Nearly half of the reports were in South Auckland. So, what can be done?
The funding will go towards three Great Rides – the Hauraki Rail Trail, Waikato River Trail, and Tasman's Great Taste Trail – following significant storm damage.
Sun, Apr 26
Monitoring data on the QLDC website showed E. coli levels reached nearly eight times consented limits and almost four times higher than is safe for swimming.
The Fairy Falls track's viewpoint will reopen following fire damage last year, however access to the waterfalls and swimming hole will remain closed.
Thu, Apr 23
Last year, some 140,000 people participated in 140 swap events and took home more than 44,000 pre-owned items.
At first glance, it seems an act of compassion. But beneath the surface lies a more difficult truth, writes Karen Stockin.
Name of parkland – featuring one of NZ’s most beautiful and celebrated waterfalls – is changing in an act of recognition.
Wed, Apr 22
Cocaine and benzoylecgonine end up in waterways when the drug is ingested and broken down by humans and then released into wastewater through urine.
Tue, Apr 21
The "literally unbearable" smell was compared to rotting eggs, dissection of a dead bird and "a stinky diaper baking in the sun".
Thu, Apr 16
A Hawke’s Bay mayor claims the declaration of states of emergency for Cyclone Vaianu was "woke" decision-making, and says "there was a lot of panicking going on" over not too much.
Mon, Apr 13
Ten-year-old Kaea and his mother Neisha were checking out Tairua's Ocean Beach after Cyclone Vaianu when he came across the Jack Daniels bottle encrusted with shells.
